A DRIVER was punished every four minutes during a police crackdown in Colchester.
 

Cars were confiscated and dozens of drivers were stopped by police around the Hythe, Ipswich Road and Stanway.
 

Essex Police carried out a four hour sweep of the roads on Friday.

PC Shaun Hammond, who co-ordinated the operation, said: “This was in response to recent metal thefts and burglaries.


“It was aimed at disrupting criminal activity with a high visibility operation.”
 

84 cars, vans and lorries were pulled over by police motorcyclists, most of which were driven into the B&Q car park off Lightship Way.
 

24 people were caught without seatbelts and 11 using mobile phones.
 

As well as speeding drivers there were secen whose cars were seized for not having insurance and three people were caught driving without a licence.
 

There were another eight vehicles not considered to be roadworthy and another six driving with illegal extras such as tinted windows.
 

The operation suggests more than a hundred people are driving in illegal or unsafe cars or breaking the rules of the road in Colchester every day.
 

See the full story in Wednesday's Gazette.